ABDA-CBI-SEAC. Book thread.

Pen & Sword have re-released Philip Stibbe's, Return via Rangoon, acknowledging the 80th anniversary of Operation Longcloth: Return via Rangoon

 

One of my long sought after set of books arrived today, Nederlands-Indië contra Japan. This seven-volume set on the war in the NEI in 1941–1942 was prepared by the Headquarters of the Dutch General Staff, Military History Section between 1949–1961.


Deel I - Prelude. Influence of the 1914-1918 war on the strength, composition and armament of the Royal Dutch East Indies Army in the period 1918-1940.
Deel II - The Netherland East Indies after the Netherlands was conquered by the Germans til the outbreak of war with Japan.
Deel III - Survey of operations in the S-W Pacific after the outbreak of war with Japan.
Deel IV - Air Force operations against the Japanese in and around the Netherlands East Indies Archipelago, in collaboration with the Allied Air Forces.
Deel V - The fighting on Borneo and the Celebes.
Deel VI - The fighting on Ambon, Timor and Sumatra.
Deel VII - The fighting on Java.

I had tried to collect this set over the years, but the volume on Java was printed on Unobtanium. This was a complete set in excellent condition with all the separate maps and the errata sheets present.


I am looking forward to spending a little time with this set.

 

English translations somewhere?

 

Sadly no. While each volume has a summary in English, French, and German, each summary is no more than four pages long.

What is interesting is that the original plan for the series is laid out in Deel I. The plan was for ten volumes, including one on the weapons of the K.N.I.L. and separate volumes on the fighting on each of the islands. As I have seen in other official series, time and money likely truncated the series.

 

Lads, any combination of Intruder + Burma, has got to be good...



I already own Walsh's first work, Mosquito Intruder Pilot, and even though I have not read it yet, with my reading queue stuck in deep sand somewhere around the fringes of the Qattara Depression, quick looks have proved very interesting.

 

I have another Mosquito related title in my collection. The Three Wings by Cliff Emeny. This airman ended up as a POW in Rangoon Jail, not enjoying his freedom again until May 1945.

 

"It's not 'low-level' if you don't come back with vegetation in your landing gear." Cute but I don't think Mosquitos would manage that. I could be wrong. Just ask my wife.

 

Have always seen the Beau as THE intruder kite of choice for SEAC, but the Mossie, once structural issues were sorted out, also had something to say

 

Just curious whether the Mosquito's structural issues in SEAC were the same post-war as those I found in research:
In June 1946 the RAF deployed 249 Squadron, with Mosquito FB.26 fighter-bombers, to RAF Habbiniya and they operated in an aerial survey / photo-reconnaissance role[1]. The wooden planes had to replaced as in the heat the glue melted, so for four months there were no aircraft and in December 1946 eight Hawker Tempest F6 fighters replaced them[2].



[1] See: RAF No. 41sqn Observer Corps

[2] See ‘Tempest Squadrons of the RAF’ by Chris Thomas, pg.77

 

AFAIK, issues went from wood warping due to extreme humidity, to glue failure because of the heat.

Iraqi climate being mostly extreme heat, ruled out problems with the wood. However, it can also be a tad humid in areas near the Gulf.

 

As it often happen while searching for one thing you find something else

Just saw archive.org has "Battle for Palembang" by Terence Kelly as a free to borrow for an hour

 

...

 

Interesting book aimed at the younger reader by Hannah Watson, The Jungle War:

 

Had a tiny bit of involvement with this title:

Managing the Media in the India/Burma War, by Philip Woods. The book covers the role of the media in covering the Burma campaign, from the infamous retreat in 1942, right up until the race for Rangoon in mid-1945.

 

Dr Richard Duckett has just given a Kohima Educational Trust talk on SOE in the Imphal-Kohima campaign and recommended a book on an irregular soldier, Norman Kelly who created the Chin Levies: 'Kelly's Burma Campaign: Letters from the Chin Hills' by his son, Desmond Kelly, pub. 2003.

The book was privately published, 850 copies and is still available via Amazon & Abe Books. Sol mentioned here a while back.

See:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kellys-Burma-Campaign-Letters-Hills/dp/0954023811

 

I was quite lucky to get a copy but unfortunately still have not read it. At least there are way more copies now listed on Abebooks than when I was looking for it. Strange

In other news, Naval & Military Press recently reprinted the history of the 1st Lincolnshire Regiment in ww2

The History of the First Bn. The Lincolnshire Regiment in India, Arakan, Burma & Sumatra Sept. 1939-Oct. 1946 - Naval & Military Press

 

Fascinating series of webinars with a wide range of coverage, even including the INA.

In due time I will get to its recording, as I was not able to hear it live. Besides, it's already on queue among several others from the archive of the Foundation

 

Phew! A ten year thread over 79 pages! It was quite a read but I gained some good insights into helping me develop my priority booklist! Many thanks to all!!

 

Good luck with that list!

 

"Operation Cleeves, SOEs Forgotten Wartime Tragedy in Thailand".

Soon in a bookshelf near me (me hopes )

Must be related to F136, me thinks, as it sounds planned stay-behind.